Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Walsh for the question. Achieving economic equality for women requires reforms to improve working conditions as well as pay. We are amending the Fair Work Act to provide stronger access to flexible working arrangements. Women are twice as likely as men to request flexible work arrangements, but the reform is not just important for women; this will help families to share those work and caring responsibilities, which is critical to driving gender equality. Currently an employee can ask for flexible work arrangements, but if their employer says 'no' they've got nowhere to go. The reforms we're looking at will bring employers and employees together in workplaces in the first instance to resolve requests and give the Fair Work Commission the power to resolve the dispute if needed.

In addition, we are prohibiting sexual harassment under the Fair Work Act. This complements reforms to the Sex Discrimination Act that passed this place last Friday. Along with the implementation of paid family and domestic violence leave, our reforms will make workplaces safer and more flexible for women.